Confessions and Assertions
by PAK
Summary: Haru is desperate for a dinner date with her employers, and Gokudera is her only option. But Gokudera has been harboring some feelings that might soon come to light. 5986
1. Chapter 1

Title: Confession and Assertion

Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn:

Pairing: 5986

Standard Disclaimer Applied

a/n The flame for GokuHaru still burns. Some things never grown old, I guess. This chapter, as well as the second, are both unedited. I wanted to get them out there since I'm a bit busy with school at the moment.

Also, writing this piece made me realize that I low key have a problem with male gaze tendencies. Like, I'm a feminist, why do I focus so much on women's bodies? Is it because I'm also bi? Oi. Being woke is hard, y'all.

* * *

 _Confession_

* * *

Gokudera sat in a quiet room and eyed his watch as he waited.

 _6:54_

 _6:55_

 _6:56_

 _6:57_

The minutes passed at a sluggish pace, slowly building on top of the other until he thought he might be stuck there forever. He'd been sitting on the couch for so long that he thought his ass cheeks might have warn in a groove.

"I'm _so_ sorry," a voice called down an adjacent hall. "I don't usually take this long to get ready..."

Haru bustled into the living room, reaching back and yanking at the zipper of her dress. "Gokudera, can you get this for me?" she asked nonchalantly, turning around for him. He sighed and stood, reaching for the zipper and slowly pulling it up. He tried not to let his eyes linger on her skin for _too_ long.

"Thanks!" she said, glancing back at him and smiling. "Just give me one more minute and I'll be done."

Gokudera rolled his eyes groaned, ignoring her laughter as he sat back down on the couch. If thiswas an indication of how this night was going to go, then he might as well drink alone.

* * *

 _Earlier that day, Noon_

* * *

"Gokudera, please! Please, please, please, _please_ ," Haru begged, sitting directly in front of him on his desk. "I'll never ask you for another favor ever again!"

Haru had spent the greater part of her morning asking him to come with him to a dinner being hosted by the partners of her law firm. It was going to be full of higher ups and Haru, an aspiring partner herself, was dead set on making a good impression. She had most everything planned out. The conversation starters, the humble but capable one liners, and the very pretty ensemble she had set out on her bed that morning. All she needed now was a date.

"For the last fucking time, I said _no_ ," he growled, irritation coming off of him in waves. He tried to work around her, but she was decidedly in the way.

"But someone has to come with me. I can't go alone!" she exclaimed, pouting as best she could.

"Why are you asking me? Go ask some idiot. Yamamoto could always use a long walk."

"He's not a dog, Gokudera... and I tried," she huffed, reaching over to nudge him in the shoulder. "But Tsuna sent him to Japan last minute to oversee the base construction."

"Ryohei?" He suggested.

"Climbing Mt. Everest this weekend."

"Fuck- Lambo?"

"Why would I bring a kid to an adult party, stupid?"

"Bring Chrome then."

"She would want to wear purple, which is what _I'm_ wearing, so no."

"Guess you don't have any other options, woman," Gokudera said, flicking a paper clip at her forehead. It hit her in between her eyes.

"Wha-! Idiot, that was rude!" she shouted, smacking him on the side of his head. "Don't bully your way out of this. You're coming with me," she maintained, glaring at him as she rubbed her sore spot.

"Don't you have any other friends you can pester?" he asked, trying his best to distracting himself with anything else. Especially not the way her hips wiggled in front of him.

"No, not anyone I can count on," she said with a sneer. "I may not work with you _brutes_ , but the Vongola are the only ones I can trust to not say anything stupid when it's important."

"You'd rather take a mafia member than some normal person," he muttered. "What faith you have in society."

"When you put it that way, it doesn't sound very nice," she said, lips twisting in a frown. "That's very impolite of you to say."

"'Impolite' is storming into my office, messing up my files-"

"That's easy when they're piled up like mountains," she chimed in.

"-and demand that I reward your bad behavior by going to a stupid dinner that I don't even care about," he continued.

"You can punish me instead then," Haru blurted, her tone exacerbated. Gokudera froze, his eyes moving straight to her serious face. He struggled to maintain his cool as he felt a red blush bloom on his face.

"Force me to spend an evening with a cranky, self-righteous asshole. Please?" she pleaded, clasping her hands together.

Gokudera looked awhile and felt foolish.

"No. Would you please leave now?"

"But-" she tried.

"I mean it."

"Just consider it," she begged.

"Haru," he said wearily, and rubbed at his temples. "Please."

She opened her mouth to retaliate, but came up short on anything to say. She appeared slightly taken aback by his sudden change in mood. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," he huffed. He sighed and opened a drawer of his desk, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. He ignored her as she hopped from his desk, but panicked when she knelt in front of him.

"Smoking isn't going to make you feel any better," she admonished, taking the box out of his hand.

"Neither will you but here you are," he countered as he took it back, pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He took a quick drag and blew out the smoke away from Haru. None the less, she wrinkled her nose at him.

"Take a break then," she cooed, resting her hand on his knee. Gokudera gulped and continued to look away. "Come with me tonight, be around people who don't want to kill you, have a drink or two. It'll be good for you."

"Nice try," he said. "You're not going to get me to go to this stupid dinner."

"Gokudera," she said softly. "Really. You should go. Yes, I want to bring you so I can use you. But it could be good for you too! To get out a little. You can go with a pretty lady-"

Gokudera snorted out of habit.

"-eat delicious food, meet some people that you otherwise would have to shoot," she reasoned. "I'll even be your designated driver so you can let loose a little!"

"Not a chance, stupid woman," he snorted, reach over to flick ash from his cigarette into a dish.

"Hayato," she said, her tone imploring him to listen. Gokudera begrudgingly looked her in the eyes, unable to ignore her when she called him by his first name. She leaned across to look him very closely in the face. "Please?"

He was quiet for a moment, taken aback by her proximity and the softness of her tone. She leaned in closer, their noses almost touching. His breath caught in his throat when he looked into her brown eyes. She fluttered her eyelashes at him, looked at him so endearingly and asked once more. "Please?"

Any resistance Gokudera might have had was gone the very moment she uttered the word.

"Fine," he breathed. Haru leaned back and smiled brightly at him. "Just get out."

"Good!" she said in approval, stood up and walked around the desk as she made her way to leave the room. "Come over at six. I'll be ready by then."

* * *

 _That Night, 7:03_

* * *

"You're the biggest liar I know," Gokudera yelled. "That's saying something," he muttered quietly under his breath.

"Shut up! Perfection takes time," she shouted from another room. She bustled into the living room as she came back, her black pumps and small purse in hand. "I'm almost done."

Gokudera scoffed, standing up and adjusting his dress coat. Haru stood next to his side and used him as leverage as she put on her heels. With them on, she could now almost reach his chin.

"How do I look?" she asked, smoothing away any imaginary wrinkles on her dress.

Gokudera looked at her with an appraising eye. Her dress was a fit-and-flare made of a deep purple velvet, something that fit her figure very well. Her make-up was simply done, except for the bright red lipstick she wore. With her so close, he could even confirm that her hair smelt nice.

"You look like you would have been ready an hour ago," he murmured softly, turning away for fear that she might see how much he appreciated the way she looked. She would probably tease him relentlessly if she noticed.

"Was that…" Haru asked, her tone playful, "a compliment?"

"It can be whatever you want it to be. Can we just leave now?" he sighed, already impatiently walking towards the front door.

"Yes!" she said as her heels clicked behind him. "Hold on. Let me just get my car keys."

"For fuck's sake, woman. Are you ever going to actually _walk out_ the door?"

* * *

 _8:17_

* * *

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Haru asked Gokudera quietly. She sat beside him at the dining table, an eyed him intently as he ate his food.

"No," he said shortly. He took another bite of his food, which admittedly was delicious.

"Liar! You are too," she teased, elbowing his side in jest. Gokudera snorted and rolled his eyes, smirking in a self-satisfied way.

"Mr. Gokudera," a dinner guest asked, bringing the two back into the conversation at large. The guest, a woman with coiffed grey hair, smiled at him. "Please, tell us what our dear Haru is like when away from work. We know she's hardworking, but it's hard to imagine such a sweet girl being so serious _all_ the time."

"Ah, well," he hesitated, unsure of what to say. "She's very upbeat, but you might already know that. Children love her though. She's very caring."

"Children?" another guest asked. "Are you married then?"

"No, sir," Haru answered. "Gokudera and my other friends work in a family business of sorts. They like to involve the kids when they can."

"What is it you do?" asked the same woman as before. "Haru is very hush about her life outside of the office. Our little sparrow isn't known to sing about what lies outside her cage."

The people at the table all laughed (Gokudera saw Haru smile stiffly at the degrading analogy) and waited with interest at what he would say next. Gokudera realized that they really _didn't_ know a lot about Haru, which meant she stayed quiet about the Vongola. Knowing that pleased him.

"I work for a company called Perla," he explained, a familiar lie falling from his lips. "We assist with community based politics here in Italy and abroad."

"Perla?" a young man at the table asked. "I've never heard of them."

"It's a bit of an insider business," he said with a polite smile. "Our focus is also very local, which might mean that a global business like yours might not ever encounter us."

"Very local," Haru chimed in, giving Gokudera a sideways knowing look. "But many of those close to me are involved. I elected to branch out and become a lawyer."

"Aren't we all the better for it!" someone said with a deep chortle, the whole table erupting in laughter. Gokudera looked over to see Haru smiling serenely.

"Do you spend a lot of time helping Perla, Ms. Miura? The children in particular?"

Haru nodded, a bright smile on her face. "I do. They're like my family, and I try to do what I can."

"Yet you choose to not work for them," a serious looking man chimed in. He looked at Haru intently with his black eyes. "Why is that?"

Haru met his gaze coolly and smiled. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Gokudera himself laughed at that, and he couldn't help but smile as he looked at his plate.

"Very true," he murmured, looking over at Haru. She looked back at him curiously. "We are all especially fond of Ms. Miura."

Haru's eyes widened and she turned away. Gokudera noticed a faint blush on her cheeks and smirked.

* * *

 _10:28_

* * *

Gokudera swiveled a glass of brandy in his hands as he blocked out the soft hum of conversation. Sometimes he would hear Haru laugh, which peaked his interested, but otherwise it was a bunch boring prattle.

Haru sat perched on the seat beside him, her dress riding up slowly as she crossed her legs. He leaned back in his spot and stared, hoping that the fabric would reveal a little more. She said something to the group, no doubt charming, and the room laughed. Their conversation floated all around him, but he was too busy ignoring them. He continued to watch her skirt intently, waiting for it to reveal more.

"Gokudera?" Haru's voice said suddenly and clearly. Gokudera looked up and blinked, his eyes adjusting to see Haru leaning closer to him.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked, smiling softly at him. He nodded and stood up, blinking at the people who stood before him.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gokudera," several people said to him as Haru tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and guided him towards the front door. He nodded and replied in turn, but made a point of heading for the exit.

"I'll see you all in the office on Monday, everyone!" Haru cheered brightly, turning back to wave. Gokudera looked straight ahead and stepped outside, tugging Haru with him.

They soon stood on the street, walking slowly to Haru's car. Gokudera said nothing, just sighed deeply as he breathed in the fresh air. He turned to see Haru watching him, her brown eyes smiling.

"Thank you for tonight," she said softly, squeezing his arm affectionally.

Gokudera smiled back at her, and pulled his arm away from her grasp.

"Not a problem," he murmurs, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Haru didn't seem to mind the sudden contact and makes no effort to push him away.

"Let's get you home," she says instead, laughing a little as she wrapped her arm around his waist and guides him forward. "I didn't realize that you had so much to drink."

"I didn't either," he confessed as he leaned heavily onto her. Haru grunted at the sudden weight, but kept her firm grip on him. "Damn good brandy."

* * *

 _11:02_

* * *

Gokudera groans when Haru threw him onto his coach and turned the lights on.

"Too bright," he calls out as he covers his eyes.

"You can't still be drunk and that hungover, idiot," she says from the kitchen. He hears the clicking of glasses and the faucet being turned on.

"I don't like bright lights when sober, stupid woman," he replies.

Gokudera groans as he stands up from the couch and wobbling slightly. He slowly walks towards the switch and dims the light, squinting his eyes until he could see.

"You're a vampire then?" Haru says beside and he whirls to face her.

"Jesus, woman," he breaths, throwing a glance back at her as he walks back to the couch.

"Can you drink some water for me?" she asks as she follows close behind him. Gokudera waves her off and falls onto the cushions.

"No thanks."

"Gokudera, please?"

He sits up to face her, and closely scrutinizes the glass.

"I don't want my buzz to go away," he says. Haru chuckles.

"This is for after the buzz, silly. You'll thank me later, I promise."

Gokudera begrudgingly accepted the glass, chugging the water as quickly as he could, and handing off the glass once he was done. Haru smiles and sets it on the ground, then sits beside him.

"Was that so bad?" she asked once she had settled beside him. Even with his fuddled senses, Gokudera was very aware of how close she was to him and of the skin hidden just under her flowly skirt. He didn't think much of it when he slowly reached out his hand to touch her, placing his hand on her knee. He just that he wondered what she might feel like.

"Gokudera?" she asked, placing her hand on top of his. He looked up to see her staring at him, her brown eyes questioning. "What's wrong?"

He didn't say anything.

He probably should have.

Instead he quickly leaned forward, fast enough for his head to spin, and kissed her.

Her lips were soft and malleable, and he tasted some of the wine that she had consumed in moderation earlier that night. His hand went to cradle her neck, his instincts telling him to pull her closer. The warmth of her against his chest made him groan. At first she was surprised, gasping against his mouth. But she soon began to match the movement of his lips with her own, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed herself against him. The warmth of her body filling his chest and the feel of her made him dizzy.

"Wait-" she suddenly breathed out, pulling back slightly. Gokudera ignored her, leaning forward towards her lips. "Hayato," she said again, turning her head away from him. "Stop."

"What?" he muttered. He nuzzled the soft skin of her neck, peppering kisses along the column of her throat.

"Please," she said, insistently pushing him away. Gokudera respected her request, drawing back even though he wanted so badly to be closer to her. He looked down to see her pouting up at him, her face blushing and her lips swollen. "You're drunk," she reminded him as she scooted away and smoothed out her skirt. "So nothing should happen tonight."

He smirked and reached out to cup her cheek. "But any other night would be fine?"

Her face bloomed a deep red color and she looked away from him. "Stupid."

Gokudera chuckled, leaning forward to rest his hand in the crook of her shoulder. "Don't you want to take advantage of agreeable Octopus head while you can?" he asked while he breathed in deeply. He felt her reach up to run her fingers through his hair and gently tug at the nape of his neck.

"A lady never takes advantage of an inebriated brute," she said softly. Gokudera huffed out a breath of laughter.

"A lady?" he snorted. She gasped, affronted, and pushed him off of her.

"Rude!" He grinned down at her, swaying as she glared at him and tried her best to suppress a smile. She shoved him and said, "I take care of you and that's how you talk to me? Ungrateful."

Gokudera could only smile as she hefted him up and guided him to his bedroom. He leaned heavily on her, his body pressed against hers with his hands wrapped firmly around her waist. Haru supported him surprisingly well, Gokudera's additional weight doing little to shake her balance.

She pushed open the door to his bedroom with her foot, and staggered slightly as she regained her footing. Gokudera did little to help, content to enjoy the way his head swam with every step. Eventually, she had all but dragged him to his bed, twisting and dropping him down onto the fluffy comforter. Gokudera laughed, the rush of his fall making his head feel funny.

"You're heavy," Haru panted slightly as she grabbed his hands and pulled him into a sitting position. She turned towards her closet, rummaged around until she found sweatpants and a shirt. She returned and began to unbutton his shirt, her fingers shaking slightly.

"I thought you weren't going to take advantage of me?" he joked, enjoying the way her cheeks blushed.

"I'm helping you change, stupid. Maybe if you could do it _yourself-_ "

"I could undress you just fine," he murmured, smirking up at her. She pretended to ignore him but her blush went from pink to scarlet red. "I've been thinking about it all night, you know. How easy it would be to pull that zipper down-"

"Hayato," she interrupted him, her face thick. She had finished unbuttoning his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. He didn't miss the way she tried to discreetly stare at his bare chest. "Don't say anything you'll be embarrassed about tomorrow."

He laughed at that. "When else could I say it?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

She ignored his stare and grabbed the shirt she had grabbed earlier. "Arms up."

Gokudera obliged and Haru pulled his shirt over him. She reached for the button of his slacks, but then stopped herself. "Uhm," she said softly as she pulled her hand back. "Maybe you should do this part yourself?"

"Afraid you couldn't control yourself, Ms. Miura?" he teased. He stood up slowly, careful not to fall to the spinning of his head. As nonchalantly as he could mention, he unbuttoned his pants and let them fall to the floor, his eyes on Haru the whole time. She gulped and peaked down, quickly directing her eyes back at him. He smirked at her knowingly, and she looked away in embarrassment.

"You're being so shy," he murmured, reaching out to touch her cheek.

Haru pushed his hand away, sighed, and rolled her eyes. "The situation is uncomfortable. I'm nervous, is all."

Gokudera frowned as he tried hard to process her words. "I'm making you feel uncomfortable?" he asked. Was he coming on to her when she wasn't willing? He wanted to tell himself that he couldn't help himself, that she was too irresistible, but he _could_ control himself. He normally did. But at the moment, the pent up feelings and thoughts had poured out and he didn't feel like reigning it in. But he very well could if it meant she would feel safe.

"Not like-... Not like that. It's just that..." she paused, her expression conflicted. "You've never talked to me like this before, but you're drunk so-. " She took a deep breath before looking him in the eyes. "I shouldn't say I was uncomfortable. I'm just very confused."

Gokudera deflated in relief at her words, falling down onto the bed. Confusion he could deal with. "Okay," he breathed as he nodded his head. "I can understand that."

"I think... We should talk about whatever this is tomorrow. When you're sober. Okay?" she asked. Gokudera nodded. "I'm going to go you some water, okay? Finish getting ready for bed while I'm gone."

She quickly left, her footsteps soft against the hardwood floors, leaving Gokudera to sit dumbly where he was. He blinked a few times and breathed deeply before working up the motivation to reach for his sweatpants and pull them on. He fell back into the bed, his head swimming when he moved quickly. Haru returned soon enough, before he had the chance to put his thoughts together.

"Octopus head," she hummed sweetly, leaning over his face. She held a large glass of water over him and waved it enticingly in front of him.

He heaved himself with a drawn out moan, reaching for the water. "This won't help me sober up," he muttered before downing the contents of the glass.

"But it will help you be less dehydrated tomorrow," Haru replied. She took the glass back once he had finished it and set it down on his nightstand. "Let's get you settled." She pushed him aside and pulled back the covers. She pushed Gokudera until he lay in the correct position then covered him. "You didn't actually have _a lot_ to drink, so you should be fine tomorrow."

Gokudera muttered something in agreement, too consumed by the warm feeling in the pit of his stomach to think of much else. He caught the smell of Haru's hair as she leaned over to tuck him in, and reached out to gently grab at a few of the strands. "You smell nice," he told her.

She laughed a little and smiled at him. "You'll be back to normal tomorrow."

He shook his head. "I'll still think the same thing tomorrow. I just might not say it."

She paused at looked him, her brown eyes scrutinizing. He didn't steel his expression or try to hide anything, his fondness shining through in his eyes. Haru turned away, her face turning pink once again.

"Go to sleep, stupid," she whispered, drawing back from him. Gokudera reached out before he could stop himself, loosely grabbing her shoulder.

"Wait," he mumbled. Haru looked at him curiously, confusion plain on her face.

"What?"

"Can I get a goodnight kiss?" he asked softly, smiling up at her. Her mouth dropped and her face darkened. He thought to himself that he was growing fond of the shade.

"I don't-" she began to say, but stopped herself to gulp nervously. "I-uhm... Suppose you _did_ do me a very big favor tonight."

"I did," he nodded sagely, his other hand reaching out to grip the back of her neck. She slowly leaned in closer, her lips parting in anticipation as she looked down at him.

"It could be a thank you gesture," she reasoned.

"The best kind."

"And I would say that you earned it."

"I worked very hard for it."

Haru pressed her forehead against Gokudera's her breath shaky as she connected leaned forward and closed her eyes. Then she kissed him. It was short and chaste, the briefest connection of lips, but it lingered on as she pulled back. Gokudera let out a shaky breath when he opened his own eyes, looking over the slope of her cheek, her jawline, the way her nose turned up at the end, and the fluttering of her eyelashes as she opened her eyes. He couldn't look away.

"Goodnight, Hayato," she whispered, her warm breath ghosting against his lips.

He nodded. "Goodnight."

She turned away and made her way to leave, but hesitated at the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

He mumbled something in agreement, already turning around underneath the covers to get comfortable. He heard her sigh softly and shut the door behind her, then quickly fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Confession and Assertion

Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn:

Pairing: 5986

Standard Disclaimer Applied

a/n Again, unedited! Might be some mistakes, you'll see.

* * *

 _Assertion_

* * *

Haru shot up from her bed, awoken by a distinct blaring noise. She fumbled as she blindly searched for her phone, groaning as she jabbed at the screen in the vein. She opened her eyes to peer at the screen, groaning at what she saw.

 _7:30_

While waking up early wasn't usually difficult, that day was different. She didn't get home until late the night before and was much too consumed with her racing thoughts to sleep. The events of that evening kept replaying in her mind, and all the details that her sleep deprived brain could remember were on repeat. The things that Gokudera had said to her, the way he touched her, the way he _looked_ at her.

It was very confusing and sudden. She had been fairly certain that Gokudera found her tolerable at best, despite her best efforts to become closer with him throughout the years. They were certainly friendly towards one another, the necessity of friendly relations when in the mafia outweighing anything else. But she would have never thought, not in a million years, that Gokudera could be harboring some sort of affection for her.

Apparently, even pigs can fly.

It's not like she never considered him when she was alone at night. He was smart, handsome, fiercely passionate about the things he cared about, and she was almost positive that she could bounce a quarter off of his backside. Over the years, she had harbored the smallest of flames for him. She never spoke of it, even very rarely to herself. She just assumed that while they got along (most of the time), there wasn't any way he could _ever_ feel the same. Especially not after knowing her during her Tsuna phase.

Haru sighed as she tried to clear her mind, already tired from so much thinking so early, so she told herself that a bit more sleep would do her some good. After all, it's not like she had anything planned for today anyways.

* * *

When Haru opened her eyes next, the sun was noticeable dimmer then when she first woke up and she would have guessed that it was close to noon. She reached out for her phone, grimacing when she saw the time.

 _11:16_

She sighed and stretched, her joints cracking as she wriggled in place. She let out a loud groan, her fatigue working its way out of her as she heaved herself up and out of bed. Haru grabbed her phone and shuffled to the bathroom, as her morning routine autopilot took over. She peed, washed her face, and brushed her teeth.

She had a toothbrush in her mouth when her phone rang, shrill as it echoed off the tile on the walls.

"Hello?" she said, not bothering to look at the screen before she answered.

"I'm outside your door right now. Let me in," Gokudera said, then hung up.

"Wha-" she mumbled, spitting out the toothpaste and rinsing her mouth.

She rushed out of her room, down the hallway, and towards the front door, fluffing her hair as she went. She looked out the peephole and sure enough, Gokudera stood there looking _especially_ disheveled as he stood there with several grocery bags.

"What are you-?" she began as she opened the door. Gokudera slipped in past her into the kitchen, disappearing behind the corner. She followed him.

"Good morning," he said as he began to pull things out of the bags. "Did you sleep well?"

Haru stared at him, still process his presence. She couldn't even begin to understand why he was in her kitchen. "I-" she started, staring at him dumbly. "I slept fine, I guess."

He nodded as he opened the fridge and slipped in fruit and eggs. "Good. I was worried I might have inconvenienced you."

"No, no," she reassured him, although she felt bad for lying. "How are you?"

"Fine. My stomach is kind of upset, but breakfast should fix that."

"Oh." She stared at him, still trying to figure out why he was here. He appeared more upbeat than usual, surprisingly so for someone who was as drunk as he was last night. "Gokudera, why-?"

"I've been awake for a few hours," he interrupted her, turning around to look her in the eyes. "I was tired of waiting around. So I thought, ah," he looked away, a red blush blooming on his cheeks. "I thought I might thank you for last night."

"You don't have to do that," she began, waving her hands in front of her.

"No," he murmured, looking away and continuing to put things away. "I wanted to."

Haru blushed too. "Thanks."

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Excuse me?"

"What do you want? For breakfast?" he asked again.

"Oh! Ah, well," she thought for a moment. "Do you have stuff to make pancakes?"

"I have enough stuff to make a buffet."

She laughed and smiled at him. "Why?"

He grinned at her. "I didn't know what you wanted."

* * *

 _12:28_

* * *

Haru snorted in laughter when Gokudera set down her plate of pancakes with an odd flourish, presenting them with ceremony with syrup and fruit.

"My lady," he murmured, tipping his fake hat.

"Thank you kindly," she hummed, reaching for her food. Gokudera sat beside her on the couch, trying to watch her as she took her first bite.

"Good?" he asked.

Haru nodded, her mouth full. She reached for the remote to the television and turned it on, the news flicking to life. "It's real good," she said after she swallowed and settled into her spot.

She didn't miss Gokudera's small, smug smile.

"You want to watch anything?" she asked as she flipped through the channels.

"Nah, I'm good. You pick something," he said, reaching for his own plate. Haru glared at him and he noticed. "What?"

"Pick something," she told him, handing him the remote.

"I'm fine," he insisted, waving her away.

"No, you made breakfast. Pick something," she demanded.

"I'm _fine_ -"

"Please?"

"I don't-"

"You're being difficult!"

"Haru-"

"Octopus head!"

"Wha-? Stupid woman!"

"Hahi! What did you call me?"

"You heard me, old lady!"

"Why, you-" Haru growled as she set her plate down with a huff. She got up and stormed away, Gokudera scrambling to follow close behind. "You may leave now," she huffed.

"Don't be stupid," he said, already on her heels. Haru stopped abruptly, Gokudera almost slamming into her, and turned around.

"I'm not stupid!" she yelled. "You're stupid."

Gokudera rolled his eyes. "Nice comeback."

"What are you even doing here if I'm so _stupid_?" she snapped, her fist clenching tight at her side.

"Because-"

He stopped himself, his mouth shutting into a thin line. He took a step back and turned away, a hand running through his hair as he fidgeted in place. Haru crossed her arms, and waited.

"I wanted to do something nice," he began, his back still to her.

"So you insult me?"

"No," he sighed, turning around to face her. "I just get so-"

"Stubborn?"

" _Invested_ when it comes to you," he said, ignoring her word choice.

Haru watched him carefully, unsure of what he was trying to say.

He looked at her intently. "I'm interested in you, Haru," he said with great certainty, "and I want you to be interested in me too. But it's kinda hard to do that when you're just so easy to argue with. "

" _Oh_ my god," she said, throwing her hands up and rolling her eyes.

"What? What did I say?"

She looked at him like he had grown a third head. "You just confessed, and in the same breath you said that all you want to do with me is fight!"

"Well," he deadpanned. "That's not the _only_ thing I want to do with you."

"You..." she said, shaking her head at him with wide eyes. "Pervert."

His eyes bulged and he shook his head, his face turning red. "Wha-? No! No, god, no, that's not what I meant!"

"That's what it sounded like, octopus head!" she squawked, walking past him into the living room. Gokudera followed close behind, perpetually stuck at her heels. "Oh my god," she mumbled to herself, grabbing at her hair as she shook her head in disbelief. "I attracted a pervert."

"I am _not_ a pervert, Haru," he scowled.

She peaked at him over her shoulder, looking at him carefully. "Then explain last night," she murmured, turning away before he saw how embarrassed she was.

She heard him sighed and hesitated before he said anything. "So, obviously, I was a little drunk. I apologize for that, because I was supposed to help you represent yourself in front of your employers."

Haru felt his hand on her shoulder, and Gokudera slowly turned her around to face him. His hands rested on her shoulders, his palms warm against her bare skin.

"I'm sorry if I embarrassed you. I'm also sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, after coming on to you like that. It wasn't right of me."

"It's fine," she said softly, looking up at him. "Don't worry about that."

"I won't," he assured, squeezing her shoulder. "You said that I wasn't in the right mind, and you were right. Thank you." He took in a shaky breath then, and took a step towards her. His hands moved down her arms, slow and gentle, and goosebumps trailed after. "I wanted to thank you today, for being the _smart_ one."

"What was that?" she asked, with a playful grin. She leaned in closer to him, her own hands reaching out to grab his side, and looked up into his green eyes.

"Thank you for being smart," he murmured, tilting his head down. Haru's heart began to beat faster, butterflies flittered in her stomach, and her eyes closed on instinct.

He kissed her forehead and pulled away.

She opened up her eyes to look at him, surprised by the grin on his face and the sparkling mischief in his eyes.

"Haru. What are you doing tonight?"

"Ah, well," she stammered, her face flushed. "Nothing."

"Good. Do you want to get dinner with me?"

"Are you asking me on a date?" she asked, surprising herself with her own boldness.

"Yeah."

"Oh," she breathed out, a smile bursting from her face.

"So...?" he asked.

"I don't know," she teased, smiling up at him. "Are you sure you could spend an entire night with someone you can't help but argue with?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to say something cheesy."

"Why not?" she asked, pouting at him. "That as the perfect moment for it."

"That's not who I am, and you know it."

"Just this one?"

"Nope."

"Please?"

"No."

"You're not fun!"

"I don't need to be."

"Well, I don't want to go one date with someone who can't even enjoy himself."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Don't be like that."

"No! I'll be however I want to be. I'm a strong, independent, _single_ woman."

"But-"

"Are you saying I'm not?"

"I'm not saying that."

"Well it sure _sounds_ like it!"

"Dammit, let me get a word in!"

"No!"

* * *

 _7:32_

* * *

"Good evening, Ms. Miura. The table for two, like you requested?"


End file.
